Kalash team in Afghanistan to get Greek engineer freed

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Sep 12, 2009

Nooristan is embedded in the south of Hindu Kush valleys. One of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, it is bordered on the east by Pakistan.A delegation of the Kalash Muslim community left Chitral for Nooristan area of Afghanistan on Friday to secure the release of Greek engineer Athanasius Lerounis who was kidnapped last week and reportedly taken to the adjacent Afghan area.
Wazirzada, a spokesman of the community, said that the delegation comprised former union council nazim Abdul Majid and Qari Abdus Saboor. The delegation, he said, would seek the help of prominent people in Nooristan to get in touch with the kidnappers.
He said that Muslims living in the valley had migrated from Nooristan and most of whom belonged to the Sheikh clan.
He said the kidnappers had not yet made any demand. He said that one of the shepherds who had been forced by the kidnapper to carry Mr Lerounis on his back said that he was safe and appeared to be in good health.
He said that the delegation would hold a jirga in Bargamatol (in Nooristan) on Saturday.
Meanwhile, district police chief Mohammad Jaffar Khan has constituted a team comprising DSPO Chitral Mohammad Sabir, SHO Ayun Zafar Ahmed and two sub-inspectors to probe into the incident.
Our Peshawar Bureau adds: Kalash people have warned that if the government failed to protect their community they would shift to another country in protest.
They urged the government to deploy security forces along the Chitral-Nooristan border to curb the movement of criminals.
Addressing a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club, Chustyar Khan, Taaleem Khan, Zarin Khan and minority MPA Prince Javaid condemned the kidnapping of the Greek engineer and the killing of a constable by the kidnappers. They claimed that the engineer had been kidnapped by Afghan Taliban for ransom.
They said: ‘Bamborate, Bareer and Rambor valleys share border with Afghanistan where kidnappers can move with impunity.’
‘The government is earning a lot of revenue from tourism in our area but it is doing nothing for the people,’ said Saeeda Gul. She urged the government to provide security to the community.
source: «Dawn»